Chapters (73)
- Rabbit Hole
- Also by Mark Billingham
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Preface
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- PART TWO
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- PART THREE
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- EPILOGUE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Back Cover
I wouldn’t say the atmosphere was ideal because frankly it was like trying to herd cats, but when things were as settled as they were ever going to get, I turned the music off and walked slowly back to my spot at the front of the room to say my piece.
I’d spent half an hour writing it that afternoon.
‘Thanks to everyone for coming.’ Ilias shouted ‘Get off’ but I ignored him. ‘I really appreciate you all making the effort and I know Kevin would have appreciated it, if he wasn’t dead.’
I nodded towards the picture of Kevin that Marcus had been kind enough to print out for me, which I’d taped to a clipboard and propped up on a table against a plant pot. Not to brag, but I reckon I’d done a tip-top job with the whole room, considering. Me and L-Plate had carted in a bunch of the plastic ferns from other rooms and arranged them on either side at the front, and I’d laid out a bunch of candles on a tray. Smelly ones, like people use in toilets or whatever, but they were all I could lay my hands on.
‘This doesn’t have to be sad,’ I said. ‘Because it’s all about remembering Kevin when he was still with us. The laughs we had with him, the stupid things that happened. All the same, we should not forget why he isn’t with us any more.’ A pause for maximum effect. ‘Nobody in this room should ever forget that a crime was committed. The very worst crime of all.’
I stopped for a couple of seconds and I have to admit I was a bit flustered because I’d heard a couple more arseholes shouting things from the back. I could guess who they were and what kind of comments they were making, but I needed to press on. I certainly didn’t want to look up and risk catching the eye of one of the nurses. Marcus, having sussed what I was up to, glaring at me from the doorway.
‘Someone took Kevin from us, and if anyone has anything they’d like to say about that, I’m sure we’d all like to hear it.’ Now I looked up. ‘So if any of you has something they’d like to contribute . . . maybe something they remember and would like to share, now’s the time.’ I pointed to Kevin’s picture again. ‘Come to the front and maybe light a candle for him, and please say whatever’s on your mind.’
I stepped to one side and waited. I wasn’t sure whether to turn Michael Bublé back on or not, how long I should give it, so I just stood there shifting from one foot to another, and I probably looked a bit awkward, thinking back.
Ilias – why did it have to be Ilias? – saved my bacon.